Bottling Time…
It’s that time again - bottling! One of the most stressful times in a winemaker’s life. Everything is so final. Once in the bottle, that’s it. Just to update you, yesterday we bottled the Stagecoach Marsanne, Ripken Late Harvest Viognier, and Rockpile Rose. Today we begin with a brand new wine we call Smoke and Mirrors (a blend of Syrah Petite Sirah and Zinfandel). At $25 a bottle, it’s a lot of bang for the buck. We are also bottling the long awaited 2007 Impostor! We skipped one year of making this to make sure we were able to lock into specific fruit sources to make this wine live up to and we hope even surpass the 2005 version, which was awarded #52 on The Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list. The last wine to be bottled today is the Eaglepoint Petite Sirah. Bombastic is the best way to describe this monster of a wine. It will need some time in the bottle, but those who are daring are going to open it right away. Just make sure have a good toothbrush on hand.
On our last day of bottling this month we will bottle the Caldwell Syrah, which could even be darker then the Eaglepoint Petite Sirah and most likely the richest example of this vineyard we have ever produced and Broken Compass which is pure decadence - enough said. The Stagecoach Syrah is like black licorice melted over roasted earth and topped with blackberry jam. We know it sounds different, but it truly is magic in a glass. The Ventana Syrah for 2007 is even more intense the 2006 (Wine Spectator 93 points and called a full bodied expression of syrah). Just so you know, no one was hurt making our wines and we never add full bodies to them. Also from Ventana, we produced our first Grenache. I love wines from the South of France and this one has all the right components - black cherry, smoked meats, Herbs de Provence, a touch of raspberry parfait and vibrancy that brings warmth to a cold winter’s day, or an added touch to a summer picnic.
Then we have one more wine to bottle in February, the Musci Syrah from Alexander Valley. We have been producing wine from this vineyard for last few years and felt that the vineyard has matured enough to stand on its own. Just 50 cases of this sumptuous beauty will be available. The best way to guarantee getting this one is through the Wine Club.
Lastly, our most exciting news is that we have made a drastic change in our logo as many of you have noticed as you reviewed our new web site. Gone is the waiter, in is an elegant classic French Colonial JC in script. We are very excited for this change and hope to hear from you over time with your opinions.
That’s it for now. Drink it up,
Jeff
